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Welcome to Salida.

Tucked in the midst of 3 mountain ranges, the Sangre de Cristo to the South, the Mosquito range to the north and the Sawatch range to the northwest, Salida, Colorado counts itself blessed to enjoy the shelter of such giants. Named in 2004 in Outside Magazine as one of the 20 “Dream Towns and Adventure Hideouts”, Salida Colorado lays in the Banana Belt, an area praised for its mild weather year round.

With 15 peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, Salida Colorado is reputed for its whitewater rafting, the Class V of which is to be found nowhere else in the country. Along with it comes spectacular hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, skiing resorts to boggle the mind and hot springs to while away your cares in. Never is there a dull moment in Salida.

Salida, Colorado is bordered on all sides by mountains which have a profound effect on it's climate. Average snowfall in Salida, Colorado is 50 inches, while in the surrounding mountains our local ski area boasts 400 inches or more. Annual rainfall in the valley is 10 to 12 inches and residents can anticipate 330 days of sunshine with humidity in the 20 to 30 percent range, making Salida comparable to places such as Tucson, Arizona. Even with the low precipitation and numerous days of sunshine the valley appears lush due to the surrounding high peaks' considerably higher amounts of precipitation. That, coupled with the extensive annual snowmelt from the mountains, provide the valley with a comprehensive irrigation system during the growing season. Temperatures in Salida, Colorado and the valley are much milder than surrounding communities such as Alamosa and Gunnison.

The average high temperature for January is 49°F. Night time temperatures average 19°F but can drop well below 0°F and usually do a few times each winter. July is the hottest month with daily average high temperatures of 77°F. Rarely does one experience temperatures over 90°F in Salida and the nights usually cool off into the 60's.